


Escape

by tinyforestshark



Category: One Piece
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23574799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyforestshark/pseuds/tinyforestshark
Summary: Prince Roronoa Zoro of Kuraigana becomes a pirate, much to the rage of his father King Dracule Mihawk.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Roronoa Zoro
Comments: 1
Kudos: 92





	Escape

"Prince Roronoa Zoro of Kuraigana."

Zoro's name was announced to the crowd. The party before him as he descended the stairs was massive, all invited by his father. He spared a glance to the throne at one end of the room. Dracule Mihawk already introduced and settling into his rightful spot. Zoro returned his gaze to the bottom of the stairs, to the gaggle of princes and princesses waiting to introduce themselves and shove each other out of the way for his attention.

One day, he would have to pick one to marry. He hoped today was not that day. Unfortunately, his father had impressed on him the importance of his 17th birthday and all the responsibilities and duties soon expected of him. Though this was his birthday party, the guest list seemed to be heavy on the "available royal families his father would like to make an alliance with" side of things.

Zoro stiffly met every one of the group. It took way too long and Zoro felt his father's calculating gaze on him the whole time. Still, he withstood it. His royal uniform allowed him to keep his swords on his hip at all times and his grip on them was the only indication of his discomfort. If only something interesting were to happen, or one of them proved themselves to be in any way _different_ then _maybe_ Zoro would be interested, but he was not.

That was only until excessive laughter caught his attention. On the other side of the room, a boy around his age, dressed in slightly mismatched royal garb, was sitting on a table, swinging his legs and regaling a group of girls and boys some story. Zoro worked his way across the room. He spared a glance to his father but the man was already staring at the loud guest. His gaze was full of displeasure and suspicion and Zoro decided he liked the loud boy already. Someone with bright red hair took his father's attention so Zoro returned his attention to the loud boy.

His name was Luffy, Zoro gathered that from the crowd. He also sailed a lot by the contents of his stories as well as broke just about every rule of etiquette his father had meticulously trained into him. Zoro was attracted like a moth to flame by the boy's energy and stories, describing a life Zoro longed for. Luffy's attention snapped to him and suddenly Zoro felt like they were the only two in the room.

They talked and Zoro was hooked. They talked for a minute, five minutes, half an hour, several hours. Zoro shirked his duty to talk to others and present himself every bit the Prince of Kuraigana to hide away in this corner with Luffy. Eventually, it had to end.

Luffy glanced away, making eye contact with the red haired man then nodding. Zoro tried to follow his gaze but Luffy quickly caught his chin. He leaned in slowly and Zoro's breath picked up, disbelieving that a royal would be so bold. Their lips touched and Zoro felt like he had touched the sun. He went to grab for Luffy, to pull him closer, hold him tighter, but the boy had already escaped his grasp and was standing on the table.

The sounds of the room rushed back to Zoro, his father shouting above the shocked crowd. Then, Luffy, shouting above the crowd and even above his father.

"Everybody stay back! This party's being hijacked by the Red Hair Pirates. You've just been robbed!" He yelled with a leap and a cheer. The red haired man before ran past Zoro with a wink, grabbing Luffy and both men escaping as fast as they could before the shock left the soldiers. Zoro was still frozen, mind a million miles away, when he got cuffed upside the head. He looked up to see his father practically growling at him.

" _Move!_ After them!" He shouted before giving chase. Zoro ran alongside him but soon broke off, taking a shortcut he often used to skip out on training to skip down to the docks. There, he found Luffy tossing treasures and gold from his castle up to, what he now assumed, was Luffy's captain. Luffy stopped and waved at him.

"Hey! Zoro!" Luffy laughed off his captain's warnings to _shut up and get on the boat_. "Thanks for the kiss!" The words shook Zoro. His sword was in his hands but he could not find it within himself to stop the pirates. He heard his father and the castle guards approaching but he still could not move. His father was shouting orders. Luffy's captain was shouting for Luffy to get on the ship or be left behind. Luffy was standing before him, beaming like the sun. He held a hand out to Zoro.

"Come with me." Three words. Three words promised the world, vast and free, to Zoro. His father's voice turned sharp and threatening, a tone only used when Zoro was in the worst of trouble. He was sick of it. He took one step, then two, then Luffy was leaning down to give him a foothold to leap onto the ship with. Zoro grabbed Luffy's hand once he was airborne and dragged them both up onto the ship.

Zoro took one last look back. He just wanted to see the sheer shock and indignation on his father's face as he waved one final time to the man. Luffy's captain was already barking orders, the ship's sail unfurling and carrying them away from the only port Zoro's ever known. Luffy leaned into him, shuffling Zoro into being pressed against the railing of the ship.

"You know. One day I'm going to be a pirate captain." Luffy said softly, almost like a threat.

"Oh, is that right?" Zoro asked, mouth dry. Luffy chuckled and leaned in ever closer.

"Yeah. You can be my first mate, if you want." Luffy hovered a breath away, waiting for Zoro to meet him the rest of the way. He did, eagerly. He ignored the worry in the back of his mind. _Was this the right decision? Did he fuck everything up? Was he moving too fast with Luffy? Would Luffy leave him some day on the same whim that brought Luffy into his life?_ All those thoughts and more brushed away by the press of his lips against Luffy's, the strong hands sliding their way across his body. One landed on the back of his neck, holding him there as if he needed encouragement to stay, the other gripping his hip as if he was not already stuck between the shorter man and the ship's railing.

A cough. Then another, louder. Then a third, along with a shoulder roughly thumping into Luffy's. Luffy broke from the kiss with a wet noise and Zoro realized his chest was heaving, having forgotten to breathe during the kiss. The red haired captain held out his hand to Zoro.

"Call me Captain Shanks. You a new recruit?" He said with a laugh. Luffy suddenly pitched a fit, turning around and standing between Zoro and Shanks.

"Hey! No! He's mine! He's going to be a Straw Hat Pirate!" Luffy shouted as Shanks laughed, hands held up in defense. Zoro found himself chuckling as well, wondering while also not caring what he had gotten himself into. It was nice. He liked this a lot more. He gripped his swords with one hand and rested his other elbow on the railing, leaning back and staring up at the sky. He sighed into the night air, breathing his first free breaths.


End file.
